Model railway tracks



June 1955 A. G. VANETZIAN ETAL 2,711,857

MODEL RAILWAY TRACKS Filed May '7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l L. -5O 47 49 7 m m [135; 48

Inventor y 5M1 was-M w a 1 2 A ltorney June 28, 1955 A. GfVANETZIAN ET AL 2,711,857

MODEL RAILWAY TRACKS Filed May 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Ii, llllllll/ INVENTOPS I 57 Alexander G. Vanetzian A and Edward Ka'hrtyniak B) HM; QM IBM 9W ATTORNEYS United States PatentO MODEL RAILWAY TRACKS Alexander Gregory Vanetzian, London, and Edward Katryniak, Ham, Richmond, England, assignors to Rovex Scale Models Limited, Richmond, England, a British company Application May 7, 1951, Serial No. 224,934

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 12, 1950 4 Claims. 01. 238-10) This invention relates to model railway tracks and its main object is to provide a construction embodying an improved end connection which is low in cost and easy to assemble.

Another object is to provide a track section having a base for supporting the rails which is moulded in one piece and provided with end portions shaped by the moulding to establish a self-aligning and interlocking connection between adjoining track sections.

A further object is to provide a moulded base of the above character which can be formed by mould parts movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the base only.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a straight track section for a model electric train;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view from below of the righthand end portion of the track section in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view from below of the lefthand end portion of the track section in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the portion of track section in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the portion of track section in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a section on the line VIIVII of Figure 5;

Figure 8 shows in section the junction of complementary end portions as shown in Figures 6 and 7;

Figure 9 is a view from below corresponding to Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a section on the line XX of Figure 4;

Figure 11 is a transverse section on the line XIXI of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a rail end and spring clip for attachment to it;

Figure 13 is a view from below of a portion of track section provided with electric terminal sockets connected with the rails.

Figure 14 is a section of a detail on the line XIV--XIV of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a section of the same detail on the line XVXV of Figure 13; and

Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of a modified rail end joint.

Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the straight track section 21, illustrated has a unitary moulded base 22 of plastic material on which are formed a number of transverse ribs 23 moulded to simulate sleepers, and above each end of these a pair of undercut chairs 24 project. The undercuts 25 on each pair of chairs 24 together form an inverted T-shaped slot which retains the flange of the rail 26 on the sleepers 23. These undercuts 25 are produced during the moulding of the base 22 by means of plungers which form rectangular apertures 27 through the mould base and sleepers 23, and project above the plane of the sleepers 23.

From one end of the base 22, a tongue 28 which 2,711,857 Patented June 28, 1955 ICQ is moulded integrally with the base 22, projects longitudinally. A V-shaped notch 29 extends backwardly from the front edge of the tongue 28 to a partly circular portion 31 of greater than semicircular extent. At the other end of the base 22, a slot 32 is moulded integrally in the base and is disposed longitudinally to receive the tongue 28 of an adjoining track section for aligning them. The slot 32 is confined above by the under surface of the base 22, and below by a transverse sill 33 projecting beyond the base 22 and by a transverse bar 34 spaced behind the sill 33, both of these portions being united at their lateral boundaries with the base 22. Above the bar 34 a rectangular slot 35 is formed in the base 22, so that the upper and lower confines of the slot 32 are longitudinally staggered with respect to each other. In this way the longitudinal slot 32 can be formed by mould parts which are movable in a direction which is'perpendicular to the plane of the track base 22. In the gap between the sill 33 and the bar 34, a partly circular boss 36 extends across the slot 32 from the base 22 with which it is integrally moulded. This boss 36 leads into a V-shaped tail portion 37 which is united with the bar 34, and the boss 30 and tail portion 37 are complementary in shape with the notch 29 which is formed in the tongue 28.

The proportions of the notch 29 are determined in relation to the resilience of the moulding material in order to give a snap action on making the joint between adjoining track sections. The necessary resilience is afforded by a comparatively wide choice of materials of which cellulose acetate or acrylic resins are suitable examples.

Assuming that the end portions of a track section shown in Figures 2 and 3, and Figures 6 and 7, belong to different track sections about to be joined, the interengagement of the parts after assembly is shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The rails 26 have the same efiective length as the base 22 but they are offset at the slotted end of the base 22 in order to overlap an adjoining track section for facilitating electric contact between the rails. For this purpose, a spring clip 38 fitted to each rail 26 at the tongued end of the track 21, has a curved tail 40 which projects through a rectangular notch 39 in the base 22, and is shaped to bear resiliently against the underside of an adjoining rail 26, see Figure 8. The clip 38, best seen in Figures 10, 11 and 12, has two lateral arms 41 which extend through the base 22 on opposite sides of a V-shaped bridge 42, and engage opposite sides of the base flange of the rail 26. The base flange is recessed on both sides, one of which recesses 43 is seen in Figure 12, and the engagement of the arms 41 of the clip 38 therein serves to hold each rail 26 in the required longitudinal position in the track section 21.

A track base 46 may be adapted as shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15 to provide terminals for connecting a source of electric current to the rails. The track base 46 has formed on its underside, moulded walls 47 and 48 providing short and long channels respectively, for conductors 49 and 50 respectively, which are connected with the rails and with terminal sockets 51 and 52 located on one side of the base 46. As seen in Figures 14 and 15, the conductor 49 is formed at one end as a clip which has arms 53 extending through the base 46 on either side of a V-shaped bridge 54 into engagement with the base flange of the rail 55. The connection for the condoctor 50 is formed in like manner.

The track sections described in the preceding examples may be fitted with rails having a self-centering joint as illustrated in Figure 16. In this modification one end of the rail 56 is formed with a substantially hemi-cylindrical projection 57 whose plane face is continuous with the under surface of the base flange 58. The end of the adjoining rail 56' has a substantially hemi-cylindrical recess 59 formed in the undersurface of its base flange 53 and this recess is adapted to receive the projection 57 of the rail 56 for the purpose of mutually aligning both rails.

While the invention has been described in connection with a straight track section, it is, of course, equally applicable to curved track sections and to other elements such as points and cross-overs.

We claim:

1. In a model railway track composed of a plurality of moulded plastic base sections adapted to carry horizontally spaced rails, a first section having at one end a longitudinal tongue moulded integrally therewith, and a second section having at one end walls moulded integrally therewith and defining a longitudinal socket complementary to said tongue, said tongue and walls having cooperating parts at least one of which parts is resilient and is distorted laterally during insertion of said tongue into said socket and which thereafter substantially recovers and thus resists withdrawal of said tongue from said socket.

2. Model railway track sections as claimed in claim 1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 110,783 Parker Jan. 3, 1871 205,836 Carpenter July 9, 1878 2,223,545 Bonanno Dec. 3, 1940 2,272,903 Bonanno Feb. 10, 1942 2,354,485 Slaughter July 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 459,744 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1937 

